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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24482236">The Consort Takes A King</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharpestScalpel/pseuds/SharpestScalpel'>SharpestScalpel</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Men's Hockey RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Implied Mpreg, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:33:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,392</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24482236</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharpestScalpel/pseuds/SharpestScalpel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sidney, the 87th Omega of the House of Lemieux, shall wed Evgeni, the exiled prince from the House of Malkin.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>159</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>The 2020 Sid/Geno Exchange</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Consort Takes A King</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/71tenseventeen/gifts">71tenseventeen</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On the eve of Sidney’s 21st birthday, a day also destined to be his wedding day, he submitted to the necessary examinations and rituals meant to guarantee the intactness of his virtue. His scowl throughout the proceedings did nothing to deter the Lemieux family physician from his task, though at least the man had a gentle touch and warm hands; he also worked quickly, pronouncing Sidney’s omega womb healthy and unsullied.</p><p>Despite the indignity, Sidney would privately admit to relief at the proclamation even as he drew the heavy skirt of his modesty gown down to his ankles and tight against his legs. His fiancé would have expectations, after all, and Sidney supposed they were fair enough given all the promises the royal marriage brokers made. Sidney had protested as much as he dared, appalled by the effusive descriptions that flowed from their pens but the king would not hear it. Instead, afterwards, Sidney’s adopted father—the sovereign ruler of Pittsburgh—had squeezed Sidney’s shoulder, a sign of the affection and long-standing relationship between them, and assured Sidney that he deserved such praise.</p><p>“For god’s sake, Sidney, you’re hardly a bridge troll. Let them say nice things about you.” Mario, Le Magnifique to the subjects who adored him, sipped from his wine glass. “Evgeni will be here in the morning on the overnight train. He’ll come prepared to judge for himself, I’m sure.”</p><p>Sidney tried to disguise his shiver of unease at the idea of Prince Evgeni finding him unsatisfactory with a shift in his seat so he could reach for his own refreshment. To be seen and found wanting...the shame would be unbearable. Such a rejection would only serve to confirm his worst fears about the unsuitableness of his very nature for the role of consort and mother.</p><p>He knew what the palace whispers said about him, about his peculiarities and preferences. Sidney recognized himself as perhaps not a difficult person but not precisely an easy man to live with.</p><p>To cement a powerful alliance by the bond of his body and bloodline—such was his duty and Sidney had long known and accepted the fact of his fate. He sipped from his goblet, wrinkled his nose. He found that acceptance was not so pleasing on the palate after all, not with his mouth full of uncertainty.</p><p>“Is the vintage not to your liking, Sidney?” Mario regarded him from across the tea table. “I find the fruit to be quite forward, but it’s pleasing for dessert, don’t you think?”</p><p>Sidney took a deep breath, counted through his numbers to calm the slight shake in his hands before speaking. “It’s lovely, very tart and it complements the pudding well. I apologize—I find my mind wandering terribly from the details of the tasting.” He returned the golden cup to the table and then rubbed his palms lightly over the brocade of his dinner skirts. “Mario…what if he doesn’t like me? You above all men know my personality. What if he finds me objectionable?”</p><p>Mario leaned forward, chewed another bite of the tender cake that had been offered to them by the harried cooks who kept auditioning desserts for the next evening’s wedding feast despite the menu having been decided a month prior. The king let the silence stretch for a moment while he considered and swallowed. Then he settled his fork down, finished with the sweet, and gestured with his empty hand to the footman, permission to clear the dishes in preparation for the next course. “Evgeni is a prince in exile, denied welcome by those who overthrew the House of Malkin. His choices are to wander, without roots and without connection, or to make his home here where he stands to rule by your side as your devoted alpha. Sidney, the prince is no fool and you are a treasure beyond the assessment of such value. He will not find you objectionable.”</p><p>The fist that had firm grasp of Sidney’s lungs released enough for him to catch a breath, and Sidney blinked fiercely. His adopted father was a man of conviction; if Mario believed in the correctness of this union then Sidney could do no less, even though a part of him rebelled at being reduced to a prize.</p><p>His duty awaited him on the morrow. He would meet it with clear eyes. “I find that I am overtired after the events of the day. I shall take to my chambers and rise with fresh confidence in the morning. I will not shame you.” He waited for the attendants to clear his place setting and assist with pulling his chair out before standing and offering a slight curtsy to Mario as reflected their close familial relationship.</p><p>The king sighed. “I have never once worried of that, Sidney.” He clapped his hands, and the servants sprang more quickly into motion, resetting the table in from to Mario with smooth precision. “Get some sleep. Things will seem far less intimidating in the light of a new day.”</p><p>Sidney harbored some reservations regarding that statement but kept his tongue behind his teeth. He nodded and swept from the room, headed for his own. He doubted sleep’s embrace would find him but at least in his own bed he would not trouble anyone else with his fears. And, regardless, he would know for certain by the time the sun set what his new husband would think of him.</p><p>*</p><p>The day began early, with a slow and careful bath followed by equally slow and careful make up. Sidney sat, naked, and let his valet and maids direct the chaos. He had met the dawn with exhausted eyes before slipping into a fitful doze. And then he had dreamed, a sprawling warm perception of a tall alpha with sleepy eyes, who nonetheless rumbled with the low-voiced strength of a bear.</p><p>He’d dreamed such things before, glimpses of the path that spread itself before his feet and waited for him to tread the way. A vision had come to him the morning he entered the boundaries of Pittsburgh, flashes of home and comfort and joy. Mario’s warm reception of Sidney into his House cemented Sidney’s faith in his occasional gift of foresight. He could hardly doubt it now in the face of another significant altering of his circumstances.</p><p>“Your jewelry, Highness.” Sidney’s maid stood at the ready, her hands full of onyx stones and glimmering gold, the markers of Lemieux’s royal house. Sidney sat and let her drape him in his dowry: necklaces of all lengths, a waist chain, rings for all of his piercings, bracelets, rings for his fingers.</p><p>The maid reached for the clasp of the necklace he’d worn since leaving his once-home—a gift that had brought him much comfort in his early Pittsburgh days—in order to remove it, and Sidney’s arm rose to stop her, his grip careful on her wrist but firm. “No. Leave me my necklace. They’ll hardly see it amongst the rest of this.” Sidney’s voice was low and calm, unshakeable as the foundations of the palace itself.</p><p>His maid ducked her head. “Yes, Highness. I thought to put it away somewhere safe but of course you’ll be keeping it on.” When he released her, she only turned to smooth the layers of fine chains over his own, the necklace marking him as a member of the royal house, the 87th omega of the Lemieux reign. “Your husband will count all of his blessings, to have such a beautiful man to wed.”</p><p>She meant it to be reassuring, Sidney had every confidence. And he hoped she had her own vision, her own reason to be so certain. He would not dispute it. Arguing on his wedding day would be a bad omen, a herald of misfortune and ill-will. Instead, Sidney turned his face into the light and let another attendant paint his lips, gloss them with a richer rose than his own bright mouth.</p><p>The adornments were for the crowd who would witness his marriage. Distance would render the intensity more natural looking. But he did wonder what his new husband would think of it. Sidney supposed he would find out soon enough.</p><p>Letang, his wardrobe master, appeared over his shoulder in the mirror. “Your gown, Highness.” He unfurled the swath of fabric draped over his arm.</p><p>All the mirrors in Letang’s usual fitting room had been removed for Sidney’s dress fittings. The finished garment was as much a surprise to him as it would be to those in attendance. Sidney turned and reached out, almost but didn’t quite stroke his hand over the silk and the velvet. The rich gold of the fabric was trimmed with black lace and piping. The wide neckline would emphasize the breadth of his shoulders; the wide skirts would but imply the breadth of his hips. “Are you certain? You know I prefer a…plainer manner of dress.”</p><p>“Highness. Sidney. Sid. It’s your wedding day.” Letang shook the skirts out and unlaced the bodice. “Today of all days, you must shine.”</p><p>Suddenly, though he winced at the ostentation of the wedding clothes, Sidney recognized a great swell of relief moving through him. The decisions had all been made; the structure of this day was already constructed. He had only to be at the appointed place at the appointed time. Sidney took a breath to settle himself in his agreement. Today he would bend to the will of those around him. Until it was time to assert his own will and proclaim his allegiance to Prince Evgeni of House Malkin.</p><p>*</p><p>House Malkin certainly grew its princes tall, Sidney thought, incapable of any deeper response when his new husband lifted the veil from Sidney’s face and he saw the man clearly for the first time. His eyes went wide, taking in the length of Evgeni’s arms and the way they crossed the space between the two of them. Strong arms, unwavering. Sidney repeated his vows without conscious thought. He knew what they meant. And he meant to keep them. A fragment of Sidney’s dream rose to meet him, and he nodded slow and careful with the weight of his headdress, confirming the correctness of his own vision and his response to the waiting priest.</p><p>The prince dipped his dark head then, careful to maintain the formal distance between their bodies, and kissed Sidney, close mouthed and chaste, sealing their agreement before the authority of church and populace alike.</p><p>Like a thunderclap, it was done before Sidney realized.</p><p>Sidney felt rooted to the spot in the moment; the substance of his wedding costume, the mass of his jewelry, the heat of his husband’s hand wrapped around his wrist as they turned to face the spectators and greet them as Prince and Consort-Wife—all of it served to hold his feet fast when he was meant to be proceeding back down the aisle. Sidney blinked and looked out over the sprawl of nobles and peasants alike who had crowded in to watch the showcase and spectacle of a royal wedding, felt the slight tug of the prince’s grip slacken and pause as Evgeni waited for Sidney to move rather than drag what he must think was a recalcitrant spouse in his wake.</p><p>A small kindness but a welcome one, and Sidney grasped at it as a fortunate sign, an indicator of how their marital relationships might proceed. Evgeni to lead him, but not to force him. Sidney could live with that, would gladly do so.</p><p>He turned his head, a slight enough movement but one that set the tiny bells on his headdress ringing just the same, their chimes calling out the noise of celebration. His husband, his alpha, stood beside him, his expression schooled to neutrality and his shoulders square. His mouth had a serious cast to it but his eyes, the ones Sidney had dreamed about, seemed wide with nerves. The man blinked and his gaze twitched to Sidney before fastening in focus on the path before them once again. Checking in but giving no sign of concern to observers. Sidney approved.</p><p>The nobles were as they ever were and would be but the others, all of these people who would be his subjects, deserved something special, Sidney thought. They came to share in a moment of joy, and he would give them that. Sidney raised his chin and smiled, met the gaze of every child that dared to look directly at him and gave them all a moment to feel that he saw them, that he recognized their attendance and valued the meaning of it. Waving would be improper inside the church, too informal by half. But Sidney let his knees bend and he curtsied to them as he would have to a high-ranking visitor whom he wished to welcome and show respect.</p><p>His husband startled ever so slightly beside him, a shiver through Evgeni’s tall frame. The grip on Sidney’s wrist never tightened. Instead, his husband bowed three times, angling his body and allowing them all a glimpse of the bare back of his neck where his hair curled. The gesture sent a murmur through the crowd, still quiet but swelling with equal parts shock and approval.</p><p>Evgeni angled his head just so—and winked at Sidney, his dark eyes glinting with humor. Sidney, so well schooled in managing his reactions, couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up. This time, when his husband straightened and raised an eyebrow, Sidney nodded. Together, in step, they proceeded down the aisle and passed from the sheltering view of the church into the light of the afternoon where an open carriage waited.</p><p>*</p><p>The one thing Sidney had insisted on during the planning of his wedding—that he had refused to budge even an inch regarding—was the date: as far from the beginning of his heat as possible. His cycle marched regularly forward, relentless, and while he privately nurtured high hopes for the events of his first partnered heat now that he’d met his husband, Sidney had refused to entertain the idea of his first marital encounter taking place in such a heightened state. Even if he and his husband had been a love match, he thought, it would be objectionable to be so vulnerable when he did not know what he was doing. Heat was not built for human dignity but Sidney wished to retain whatever he could for his wedding night.</p><p>It was bound to be awkward enough without waking up pregnant with the next heir.</p><p>Sidney had grown from an ungainly youth into a comely enough young man. He knew the gossip, though he never participated in it. His own looks did not impress him, but others seemed more easily swayed and Sidney would not do them the disservice of correcting them, no matter how it made him uncomfortable to know what the palace guard in particular thought of his mouth. He had studied the shape of it in the mirror of his dressing table; he supposed the color of his lips was indeed rather pink, the fullness almost bruised, the shape generous and mobile. Still, it would be vanity to come to a favorable conclusion and so Sidney had turned his face away from his mirror and carried on with his day. His looks were far secondary to his abilities.</p><p>And his abilities were, if Mario were to be believed at least, unparalleled. Sidney had studied statecraft and diplomacy, bent his mind to learning the intricate balance that must be struck in order to rule a kingdom well. He regularly reviewed both the current treaties and the old ones that had become the foundation of Pittsburgh itself. He took joy in the study. Sidney had a particular fondness for the histories he found deep in the library corners, high on shelves that never saw daylight that could damage the fragile spines and pages.</p><p>As an omega, Sidney could not directly inherit the kingship. Instead, he would be wed to a suitable alpha who could stand at his side, direct the tide of politics with Sidney’s counsel. Mario had marked Sidney for the role, had chosen Sidney from all the other omegas presented to him. His parents had prepared him for the possibility as soon as his presentation first showed hints, manifesting in the strategy he displayed during childhood games and the careful way he protected his younger sister.</p><p>The training was imperative, of the utmost importance, and Sidney absorbed all of his lessons. But none of what he learned eased the way when it came time to communicate with his age peer group. He remained more comfortable with older advisors and scholars, more comfortable still with those who had long familiarity with him. He went to Pittsburgh alone but for his parents; by the time of his wedding, his tendency to gather old family and friends to him was well known. Mario indulged him, found roles for those of whom Sidney had the fondest memories.</p><p>It was not that Sidney could not make new friends and acquaintances. He had taken a particular liking to Quartermaster Dupuis and found a mischievously kindred spirit in Weaponsmaster Fleury.</p><p>Still, most of the kingdom knew the royal omega to be…stiff was the kindest word, hesitantly used only when such discussion could not be avoided. Genuine, they said, but perhaps high-strung.</p><p>Those were the whispers that caused Sidney anxiety even as he sat beside his new husband at their wedding feast. He believed in his vision, but tendrils of nervousness still wrapped their way about him, made Sidney startle when Evgeni reached for his hand, laced their fingers together.</p><p>“You want more wine?” The prince’s English was accented but clear enough, a deep voice suited to his large frame. He squeezed Sidney’s palm, rubbed his long thumb over the thin skin of the inside of Sidney’s wrist. “Or maybe water for a clear head?”</p><p>His face heated, and Sidney knew his skin would betray a blotchy flush up from his neck and spreading to his ears. He silently cursed the rosy glow and schooled his face to pleasantness. “Water, I think. Thank you.” He cleared his throat, determined not to make a fool of himself. This man was now his husband and alpha—if he could not even summon the courage to speak to Evgeni at their wedding feast then Sidney may as well give up on ruling Pittsburgh beside him. “Your journey. I trust it was not objectionable?”</p><p>The thumb on his wrist pressed against Sidney’s pulse, as though taking the measure of the racing speed of it. “Being at my destination is preferable to the travel.”</p><p>A fresh burst of warmth rushed over Sidney in a wave, and he lowered his lashes to give himself a reprieve. Court intrigue had it that the exiled Malkin prince was something of a force of nature, with an expansive heart and a tendency to get excited about animals of all sorts, from pets to predators. People had spoken of his stature and his good nature, of course, and when they thought Sidney was not within hearing distance, they’d spoken of more personal attributes with detail Sidney blushed to overhear. No one had mentioned his charm. Sidney cleared his throat and sipped from the water glass that his alpha offered him from his other hand.</p><p>His husband was bold and not strictly abiding by the protocol that had thus far ruled Sidney’s life—so Sidney dared to lift his gaze and hold eye contact as he swallowed the cool liquid, something in him moved to match his mate. He licked his lips, the gloss that had been so carefully applied smudged and mostly worn off from eating and speaking and drinking. “I’m grateful for the refreshment.”</p><p>Voices rose in a swirl and broke whatever spell had enthralled them both. Sidney blinked and looked over the crowd. Mario, on his throne at the other end of the room and surrounded by well-wishers and those currying favor, smirked and raised an eyebrow and Sidney blushed harder to be so caught. Evgeni straightened from where he had leaned closer, released the grip he had on Sidney’s hand with one last stroke of the backs of Sidney’s fingers. The alpha settled deeper into his chair, sprawled his long legs out more comfortably. Then he lifted the same glass he’d offered to Sidney to his own mouth. “I’m always at your service to provide.” He sipped from the same place on the rim that Sidney’s lips had touched, a slight smudge of gloss marking the spot.</p><p>Sidney exhaled, had to look away. His whole body felt warm at his husband’s casual display. When he dared to glance back over at the man, Evgeni was watching him, eyes glittering darkly.</p><p>The wedding night might not be as awkward as Sidney expected.</p><p>*</p><p>Sidney’s nerves returned as Mario, a gleeful smile fixed firmly in place as he played the doting father, escorted Sidney to the new and expanded chambers that were to be shared with Evgeni. “Really, Sidney, you did very well. That was a very nice touch, to acknowledge the witnesses in such a way.”</p><p>The reassuring grip Mario had on Sidney’s elbow served as a comfort; Sidney leaned into the contact. “It felt important. This union honors my commitment to the people.” His knuckles were a bloodless white where he had latched onto Mario’s cloak. He flexed his fingers and then worried at the fine cloth between them. “The prince—Evgeni. He did well, I think? To bow in such a fashion? They will not think him weak?” He’d shown them the back of his neck, after all. Surely they recognized the high honor of it.</p><p>Mario paused, and the attendants who trailed behind him stopped as well, accustomed to Mario’s precise movements. “He showed them all great regard. The castle has been buzzing with talk of it. I’d say the people have been gossiping of nothing else but there’s been plenty of conversation about him feeding you as well.” Mario’s quirked eyebrow radiated smug satisfaction. “Less worried he’ll find you objectionable, I take it?”</p><p>One of the many things that Sidney appreciated about his adopted father was his humor—and the sincerity that lurked underneath. If Sidney had doubts, even now, Mario would hear them and do his best to address them. He shook his head. “He did not feed me. That wouldn’t be proper.”</p><p>He’d just offered Sidney water from his own cup for the rest of the evening, served Sidney’s thirst with intense focus so that he’d not once had to ask for refreshment. Handfeeding might have been less intimate a need met, Sidney thought. At least that would have been received as a blatant sexual overture, understood by all who witnessed it, an alpha claiming his omega’s needs as his own. The drinking, accomplished as neatly as it was with nary an escaped droplet to sully Sidney’s wedding costume, had instead caused several of the more seasoned courtiers to avert their gaze and titter behind their fans. If morsels of delicious cheese and sweets were to be licked from offering fingers, the giving and the receiving intended to rile the baser urges, to give and receive water spoke to a more tender level of care, the addressing of the most basic of needs.</p><p>Really, it had all been surprisingly romantic. If anyone had asked him prior to his wedding day, Sidney would have avowed disinterest in any sort of grand gesture. Somehow his new husband had known the correct exception to pursue.</p><p>The king huffed out an amused chuckle. “I’m sure that’s what stopped him.” He urged Sidney into a walk again, and one of his guards nearly tripped over his own feet in his efforts to fall into step. Mario muffled his laugh in response but grinned at Sidney. “Enjoy yourself tonight, Sidney. You’ve earned a fruitful union.”</p><p>“Mario!” Sidney would have covered his face if he had a free hand; instead he kept his grip on Mario’s cloak with one and clutched at the closed neckline of his dressing gown with the other. His face flamed. He’d come to the conclusion that his wedding night would be quite a momentous occasion but that didn’t mean he required anyone’s speculation about it, even in the form of well wishes.</p><p>The door to his marital chambers loomed, carved and decorated with fresh flowers. Mario’s gentle hand loosened Sidney’s grip. “You do not need my permission. But I give you the blessing of my House, Sidney, that you and your husband may be happy together for all of your days.” He leaned forward and kissed Sidney’s brow. “Now go get your alpha.”</p><p>Sidney nearly yelped at the shove propelling him through the door and into the magnificent bedchamber. He bit his tongue instead, and looked to the massive four-poster bed, draped in clean white linens and mounded with pillows. Well, then. He supposed it was time to find out what all the talk about marital congress was really about.</p><p>*</p><p>Sidney’s robe hung on a special hanger in the dressing area, behind a modesty screen. His clothes for the morrow were already laid out and waiting, a return to the plainer attire he favored. The lanterns had all been snuffed, though candles flickered throughout the room. Sidney himself laid in the center of the bed, dressed in a filmy nightgown made of such soft cotton lawn that it would hide nothing of his body from anyone who saw him waiting like an offering.</p><p>He supposed he was an offering. Prince Evgeni would secure the succession of the throne and Mario’s few detractors would be assuaged. Sidney’s future would be assured along with that of the kingdom. All that remained was the final ritual act of their formal union.</p><p>His husband would be taken to bathe again and then dressed for bed by attendants. In absence of his own parents or allies to escort him, Mario would show him the way to these new shared chambers. The king would doubtless—and embarrassingly—provide advice for being married to Sidney. Likely it would take near to an hour before he was again allowed the pleasure of Evgeni’s company.</p><p>He wished the time would pass more quickly.</p><p>Their shared flirtation as the wedding feast wore on had eased much of Sidney’s anxiety, as certain as the progression of the courses through dinner. Sidney simply knew his own follies and the time spent alone would provide too fertile a ground for his fears to spring anew from their roots despite all evidence. Sidney recognized his inclination toward worry, concocting ever more far-fetched potential disastrous outcomes that had not yet once come to pass. But with all of his heavy-lidded significant looks, Evgeni had also demonstrated a gentle touch and an attentive manner.</p><p>Hornqvist, the Hunt Master, and Fleury had both advised Sidney on the qualities desirable in a lover when the engagement was first announced. While they had most assuredly intended their advice to shock Sidney and turn his face to crimson, Evgeni suited their suggestions to perfection, at least in Sidney’s estimation. The only way to know for a certainty was to bed his new husband and he found himself...eager for it, excited at the project of pleasure despite his bout of nerves. They were married before the church and their people; no one could object to Sidney’s enthusiasm for fulfilling this aspect of his marriage pact. And, he thought with uncharacteristic sourness, if anyone did object then he simply wouldn’t care. He owed the completeness of his effort to his people. But it was his right to retain the privacy of his person. If he learned to play the wanton in the privacy of their rooms, if Evgeni instructed him, then he committed no offense.</p><p>Thus resolved, Sidney threw the covers away from his near-naked body and stretched across the coolness of the fine sheets.</p><p>“Very pretty.” Evgeni’s deep voice came from the room’s other doorway, a more private entrance from the ornate sitting room designed for them to receive the closest and dearest of their companions. The alpha stepped across the threshold, the black of his dressing gown flecked with more gold, claiming and marking him for Pittsburgh with no concern for what the colors of his homeland might have been.</p><p>Sidney gasped, began to reach for at least the modesty of the coverlet—then halted. This was precisely what he’d hoped for. He drew in a deep breath, counted his numbers for the round of it, the full inhale and the release of the exhale. He let his body go lax and widened his sprawl under his husband’s attentive eye. He felt awkward in the doing so but he could get better at displaying himself, he thought. One needed only practice at new things. “Do you think so? My gown was particularly fine tonight and I could put it back on if you prefer.”</p><p>Evgeni’s dark hair looked closer to black, damp and holding on to the candlelight. He untied the belt holding his dressing gown firmly closed and crossed the room to sit at the foot of the bed. The folds of fabric gaped only a little, offered glimpses while cloaking the rest of what Sidney wished to discover in shadow. He saw no fabric of a nightshirt, only hints of tanned chest and pale thigh.</p><p>“Oh.” Sidney wet his lips with a quick swipe of his tongue, a habit retained from his youth; he watched Evgeni’s gaze flicker from the vulnerable curl of his toes to the temptation presented by his mouth and then back again. “You speak less than I thought you would.”</p><p>That was not what Sidney had been determined to say. He bit back a groan at his own ineptitude, ready to make his apologies for his unfairly judging words that surely had broken the mood.</p><p>To his surprise though, Evgeni laughed. “Why should I speak when I am so thoroughly enjoying the view? Is one not meant to gaze upon art in silent contemplation and meditation?”</p><p>His accent gave a different rhythm to the words and Sidney found himself quite entirely focused on the alpha. He could feel his body softening even as his nerves seemed strung entirely too tight under his skin. His face flamed at his own daring, but he shifted a little more to ruck up the hem of his nightgown and make movement easier, turned onto his side to face his husband. He braced himself and then bent his knee to emphasize the thickness of his thighs and hips, plush and receptive. Sidney swallowed and raised his chin, bold in a way that would shock the rest of the palace if they saw it. “Art remains untouched, intended only for the viewing. Do you intend only to look?”</p><p>Evgeni’s eyes widened and this time his laugh was full, booming and delighted. One hand reached out to grasp Sidney’s exposed ankle and the size of his palm, the length of his fingers, caught Sidney fast. “Maybe you are ripe fruit then? Ready to be plucked and enjoyed?” He tugged Sidney a little further down the bed with the grip he showed no sign of relinquishing.</p><p>Sidney let his arms drift over his head even as his nightgown caught under his weight and revealed the full length of his legs almost to the level of his cock and his hole. His body thrummed in anticipation. “One hardly wishes to languish on the vine.”</p><p>The prince bent the long length of his torso down towards the bed, stretched himself to lay a simple kiss on the point of Sidney’s ankle bone. He paused, looked at the damp spot left by the gesture on Sidney’s skin, and then returned to nip at the delicate skin. His grip tightened when Sidney jolted in response, and Evgeni sat up, his mouth set in an entirely smug expression. “After such a sample, I could never go without further indulgence.”</p><p>A delicious shiver moved through Sidney in response to his husband’s dark tone of appreciation—surely if Sidney but gave the word, he would be devoured. And that, he decided, would be precisely to his taste. “Will you not come to bed and indulge, continue the feast given in our honor”</p><p>He held his breath and then there was no point in holding it as Evgeni surged up the mattress to take Sidney’s mouth.</p><p>*</p><p>With his purpose and his price so widely known to all, those who surrounded Sidney had been careful of the manner in which they touched him. The weaponsmaster and the dancing instructor wore gloves during lessons lest they mar his skin. His tutors and instructors gave him wide berth in the lesson halls. He had shared a few innocent kisses in the stable with one of the most daring grooms, but even that had fallen by the wayside as Sidney devoted himself to his studies.</p><p>Evgeni was not careful.</p><p>Or at least he was not careful in the same fashion. Sidney gasped against the press of a hot tongue to the seam of his lips and Evgeni took such a welcome as his due. He pressed Sidney back against the sheets and continued his urgent exploration of Sidney’s mouth. He rumbled out a pleased sound and Sidney shocked himself with the melting noise he gave in response. He reached, feeling encouraged in his boldness, to grasp his husband’s shoulders.</p><p>Instead of drawing closer, pressing Sidney to the mattress beneath his weight and ravishing him as Sidney was more and more convinced he desired to be taken, Evgeni put at least an inch of space between their mouths, took in a great deep breath. His dark eyes smiled even as he panted through his open lips, taking in the taste of Sidney’s scent.</p><p>Before, Sidney would have said he did not care to be scented. They were not base animals; one’s designation did not make one an animal, no matter what some alphas preferred to claim while in their cups. But now his husband turned his head, offered the length of his throat to Sidney and Sidney could find no objection even were he capable of finding his voice. He leaned in close to trace his nose up the length, the strong column of Evgeni’s neck from shoulder to ear and inhaled the musk and ice and smoke.</p><p>His mouth watered in response and Sidney, shocking himself, sat up just enough to place a small kiss at the hinge of his husband’s jaw.</p><p>Evgeni rumbled. “So nice, your mouth.” He turned and murmured against the softness of Sidney’s cheek. “I swore to be at your service.” He nibbled at the lobe of Sidney’s ear. “You want to continue the feast? Then I will provide.” Evgeni grasped Sidney’s arms and rolled onto his back, carried Sidney with him until Sidney sprawled across the prince’s body, bare legs tangled together in a shocking length of skin on skin. He laughed and his chest moved with it under Sidney’s weight.</p><p>The position shocked Sidney’s voice right out of him; he thrilled down to his toes. His husband pressed against him intimately and rather than pull back in fear, Sidney squirmed until he could brace his hands against his husband’s shoulders and sit astride his hips as though he were in saddle.</p><p>The quartermaster’s jokes about riding made a great deal more sense, Sidney thought, and didn’t even have the capability of blushing more intensely.</p><p>One of Evgeni’s big hands brushed up the back of Sidney’s neck and he shivered at the feel of it, the size and span of Evgeni’s grip against the bones of his skull but also the gentle possessive nature of the touch. Sidney bent, guided by Evgeni’s hand, and kissed his husband again and then again and didn’t feel awkward at all.</p><p>He felt very conscious of the openness of his legs, the space between them occupied by his husband. Sidney felt empty and as though he would very much like to be filled. His nightgown bunch and twisted around his hips and Sidney writhed against the confinement of it. He leaned into the warmth of a tentative touch: his husband’s fingers fiddling with the hem of the delicate fabric. “Would you take it off of me?”</p><p>Lovers were often unclothed with each other, Sidney thought. Or perhaps they were not and it did not matter but he wished to be naked, wanted more of the rasp and tease of Evgeni’s body hair. He shivered at the coolness of the air as Evgeni pulled the nightgown over his head, slow and careful enough that Sidney had opportunity to object if he but changed his mind. He watched the fine fabric puddle onto the floor beside the bed rather than dwell on his own vulnerable nudity.</p><p>Evgeni dragged the tips of his fingers across and down the expanse of skin bared to him, and Sidney reveled in the prickle of his nerves in response. “Evgeni, please.” He wasn’t entirely sure what he was asking for, though he knew the mechanics, but he felt highly confident his husband would know.</p><p>“You’re my husband now.” The prince lifted his hand and traced the shape of Sidney’s mouth and then, when Sidney parted his lips, slipped two fingers in to press against the wetness of Sidney’s tongue. “And I’m yours in return. You should call me Zhenya.”</p><p>Sidney matched his husband’s gaze—matched Zhenya’s gaze—and closed his mouth around the intruding fingers, sucked them lightly as he would a favorite sweet. Zhenya’s groan caused his body to vibrate in a very interesting way where he was pressed between Sidney’s thighs. He opened his mouth, let Zhenya’s fingers trail damply across his face to cup his cheek.</p><p>Sidney was trained in statecraft and king making, in etiquette and diplomacy. He had worked hard all his life, believed with the sum total of his considerable passion that if he but studied and practiced, he would learn and do well. Yes, he thought. He was right to trust his vision. He knew what to ask for after all it seemed. “Zhenya. My Zhenya. Make me yours in deed as well as word.”</p><p>His husband—his king—reared up to conquer him.</p>
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